Philly Deserves to Be Super

The bowls are filled with chips; the hoagies are en route from the local sandwich joint. The beer will be cold and the wings will be hot. And 20 desperate Eagles fans will gather in my living room to live and die with each play in today’s Super Bowl.

This is unchartered territory for us. In Philly, we’re used to getting together for the Super Bowl just like everyone else. But it usually an opportunity to check out new commercials and lament another year without our Iggles in the big game. Today is definitely different. Everywhere you look in the Tri-State area, Eagles green dominates. The nuns are sporting Eagles paraphernalia for Christ’s sake. Homilies are being devoted to the event in Catholic Churches.

It’s been 21 long, depressing, frustrating years since we last tasted Championship glory when the 76ers won the NBA Championship in 1983. Hell, I was so young that I had to ask permission to stay up past my bedtime to watch the games. In the years since ’83, we have endured some lean years, and tantalizingly close calls with sports’ great prizes. An entire city; heck and entire region, is chewing their fingernails to nub hoping this is our year. The Patriots will be a tough opponent, and the Eagles will be hard pressed to beat them. But we have faith. This has to be our year. I mean, hasn’t Boston had enough good shit happen to them? 2 Super Bowls and a World Series in the last 3 years. Give me a break. We’re dying here in Philly!!!

So, whether you are a fan with only a passing interest, or a Giants fan who would rather see a team of prisoners beat the Eagles, please put your animosities aside for one day. Philadelphia, despite our surly reputation, is a city of passionate, die-hard fans who deserve (yes, deserve) to feel #1, even if for just one glorious day in February.

21 years is a long wait, but you aren’t dying in Philly. I’m 36 and I’ve never experienced a championship. Having grown up in Cleveland, our sports teams sucked with a capital ‘S’ until the mid-80s and the Browns made it to the AFC championship 3 times on 4 years, just to lose each time to Elway and the Broncos. In the 90’s, the Indians had enough offense to get to two World Series, just to lose. It’s been since 1964 that Cleveland has tasted a championship in any of the major sports.

Now that I’m in Indianapolis, I thought my chances would improve with the Colts and the Pacers, but the Patriots have Manning’s number, and the Pacers got themselves suspended out of the Eastern elite. *sigh*

I certainly have no sympathy for sports fans in Boston. The Red Sox are merely Evil Empire Jr. to the Yankees; Super Bowls in 3 of 4 seasons; the Bruins made the NHL playoffs for more than 25 years straight in a stretch, and the Celtics won more championships than most NBA franchises have won playoff series.

I’m sure it doesn’t help your not-bitterness, Mike, that Bill Belichick didn’t win too many games when he coached the Browns.

But now he’s a genius and has won 3 Super Bowls in New England with a no-name, cement-footed quarterback drafted in the 6th round.

SFC SKI

Having lived outside Philly and Boston, but being a legacy Cleveland fan, I had no dog in the fight but was still glad to see this matchup. Sure,, Philly lost, but they put up one hell of a fight, played very well, and have nothing to be ashamed of.

SKI–You’re right. Nothing to be ashamed of. Although there’s plenty to talk about in Philly today. We lost by only 3 pts. after 4 turnovers AND shitty clock management. We came oh so close, it hurts. But they fought hard.

Eric Olsen

what was up with all the farting around when they should have had the plays already called? They wasted probably a minute total out of the last 4 – that’s crazy.

Great game, though, it sure held my attention and I had no rooting interest in either team, other than I am really fucking sick of New England and I don’t really want to hear a peep from anyone who lives within 100 miles of Boston for the next 20 years or so.

bhw- I stopped being a Browns fan when Art Modell moved the team. My disgust was not pointed at Modell. It was his team, and his right to move it. I was disgusted with the way Cleveland fans talked about Modell and the moving of his property.

So, I rather delighted when first the Modell-owned Ravens won a Super Bowl, as I knew that those same people who hung Modell in effigy were dying a thousand deaths.

Belicheck was rather an enigma when he was in Cleveland. He had no discernable ability to talk to anyone, from media to the players. When he benched Bernie Kosar, the City was ready to form a lynch mob. Interestingly, Kosar was also a cement-footed QB, but he had the idea in his head that he was a decent leader, and Belicheck was trying so hard to imprint on the team the selfless cog in the machine mentality that there was endless friction.

Most fans in Cleveland agreed that Belicheck was a defensive genius, but believed he should stay away from the offense. He’s clearly learned a lot since those days in Cle.

But, since I was not bitter about Belicheck, I celebrated his first two Super Bowls, again envision idiot Browns fans dying several thousand deaths. It warmed my heart like a nice mug of hot cocoa on a wintery day. This time, the thrill was gone. The Pats won another won? Ho hum.